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70-Year-Old Arrested in Connection With 1987 Cold Case Homicide
July 09, 2026
On Thursday, July 9, 2026, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) announced the arrest of 70-year-old Gary Edward Glowacz in connection with the 1987 killing of Melissa (Taylor) Ellison.


On December 28, 1987, at 4:40 a.m., patrol officers responded to a call for a dead person at a home on Colejean Road. When they arrived, officers located 20-year-old Ellison lying in her bed, suffering from blunt force trauma. Ellison’s roommates said they went to check on her after finding Ellison’s toddler crying on the living room couch.

JSO Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit detectives began an investigation, reviewing all available evidence and conducting multiple interviews. Over the years, that investigation went cold.

Thirty-nine years later, on Wednesday, July 8, Glowacz called in to dispatch at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. He advised he wanted to provide information about the death of Ellison.

Glowacz was taken to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, where he was interviewed by detectives and an arrest warrant was issued.

Glowacz has been booked into the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility (Duval County jail) on charges of Murder and Burglary with a Battery.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is thankful for its community partners —First Coast Crime Stoppers, State Attorney’s Office, Project Cold Case, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office—who all helped keep this case at the forefront and renewed the call for information. 

To view the post and standup regarding this arrest on JSO's social media platforms, please click on one of the following links: Facebook  Instagram
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